Chart for indicating the sales space occupancy periods of products displayed for sale



Dec. 28, 1965 c. R. BAILEY 3,225,473

CHART FOR INDICATING THE SALES SPACE OCCUPANCY PERIODS OF PRODUCTSDISPLAYED FOR SALE Filed April 25, 1963 LICENCE MAKE TYPE

FIG. 6

FIG. 3

' INVENTOR CHARLES R. BAILEY FIG. 4

United States Patent 3 225 473 CHART FOR INDICATIEVG THE SALES SPACEOCCUPANCY PERIQDS 0F PRODUCTS DIS- PLAYED FOR SALE Charles R. Bailey,310 Pomona Ave., Burlington, Ontario, Canada Filed Apr. 25, 1963, Ser.No. 275,577 4 Claims. (Cl. 40124) The present invention relates to achart for indicating the sales space occupancy periods of productsdisplayed for sale and it consists in the combinations, constructionsand arrangements-of parts herein described and claimed.

Generally there is provided a simple and compact device consisting of aframe wherein is displayed one side of an endless belt verticallydivided into spaces. Partial front wall sections at either side of thedevice are marked from top to bottom with numerals 1 to 30 andcorrespond to the vertical spaces on the endless belt. Novel means isprovided for moving the displayed portion of the belt downwardly asdesired. The device is such that it may be utilized to give informationat a glance as to stock on hand with reference to (a) total inventoryand (b) the time which each item of such stock has been on hand. Theitems of such stock are represented upon the exposed portion of thedevice with removable stickers forming a part of the invention. Thedevice is particularly adaptable to the used car business, the variousstickers representing cars on hand and their particular position withrespect to the aforementioned side wall portions indicating the lengthof time such stock has been on hand.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a novel deviceof the character set forth which is simple in construction, inexpensiveto manufacture and yet effective and efficient in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel method of controlof sales of various articles.

Still another object of the invention is to provide, in a device of thecharacter set forth, novel roll tensioning means forming a part of theinvention.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide, in a device ofthe character set forth, novel operational means for moving an endlessbelt forming a part of the invention.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, in a device ofthe character set forth, novel removable stickers forming a part of theinvention.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from areading of the following specification taken in conjunction with thedrawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view, partly broken away, of anembodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view thereof,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view, partly in sectionand partly broken away, illustrating an operational handle andassociated mechanism forming a part of the invention,

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary elevational view similar to FIGURE 3 butillustrating the opposite end of the roller shown in FIGURE 3 and itsmounting bracket,

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 but illustrating an upper rollerand tensioning device forming a part of the invention, and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of a tag or sticker forming a part of theinvention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, there is shown therein adevice of the character set forth comprising a frame having a rear wallwith an upwardly projecting portion 10 provided with openings 11 whereby3,225,473 Patented Dec. 28, 1965 the device may be attached to a wall orthe like, side walls 12, a top wall 13, a bottom wall 14, an upper frontWall portion 15, a lower front wall portion 16 and a pair of side wallportions 17.

In the upper portion of the frame and concealed by the upper front wallportion 15 is a flanged spool 18 in each end of which is affixed a block19 having slidably mounted therein an axially extending shaft 20 adaptedto be adjustably held in position by a set screw 21.

A bracket 22 is mounted on each adjacent side wall 12 and a reducedportion 23 of the shaft 20 extends into a vertical slot 24 formedtherein.

The shafts 20 are each provided with an annular groove 25 exteriorly ofthe spool 18, such grooves being indicated at 25 and in each of which ismounted a hook 26 carried at the lower end of a tension spring 27 theupper ends of which are connected to studs 28 which are exteriorlythreaded for the reception of wing nuts 29, it being apparent that thestuds 28 extend through openings 30 in the top wall 13. Washers 31 areinterposed between the wall 13 and nuts 29, all as illustrated in FIGURE5 which shows one end structure concerned with the spool 18, it beingunderstood that the other end thereof is identical in structure.

The lower flanged hollow spool 32 provided in one end thereof with afixed block 33 having slidably mounted therein a shaft 34 which may beadjustably fixed in position with relation to the block 33 by a setscrew 35. A reduced portion 36 of the shaft 34 is mounted in a bracket37 affixed to the adjacent side wall 12.

The other end of the spool 32 has slidably mounted therein a collar 38in which is fixed a cylindrical member 39 having an outwardly extendingshaft 40 which extends slidably through the end of the spool 32 andthrough a bracket 41 afiixed to the adjacent Wall 12 and whichterminates in a handle 42. A compression spring 43 surrounds the shaft40 and bears against the member 39 and the inner face of the end wall 44of the spool 32. The bracket 41 is provided with a recess 41a in whichthe handle 42 normally lies.

Entrained over the spools 18 and 32 is an endless belt 45 of canvas orthe like which is provided with vertically spaced horizontally extendingdividing lines 46 forming therebetween vertically aligned spaces 47.

Indicia 48, preferably in the form of numerals reading from 1 to 30,inclusive, are inscribed upon the outer faces of the front wall portions17 and are so spaced as to each always register with the space 47immediately adjacent thereto regardless of the positioning of the belt45.

To complete the device there .is provided a plurality of tags orstickers as illustrated, for example, at 49 in FIGURE 6.

In operation, the device may be used, for example, in connection withthe used car industry. In such case, as a car or cars are acquired bythe particular concern, a tag 49 may be filled out giving the basicinformation concerning the same and, being provided with an adhesive 51)on its rear face may then be placed in the uppermost space 47 where itwill presently register with the numeral 1, thus indicating that theparticular car or cars are on hand in the concern for the first day.

This procedure is followed each day first, however, moving the exposedportion of the belt 45 downwardly a distance of one space 47. This isaccomplished by grasping the handle 42 within the recess 41:; andpulling the same outwardly until a stud 51 extending inwardly from theinner wall of the spool 32 is received in a notch 52 in the member 38,it being apparent that pulling the handle 42 outwardly will act to movethe member 39 and its attached member 38 outwardly so that suchengagement between the stud 51 and the notch 52 may take place. Whensuch action does take place against the action of the spring 43, thespool 32 may be rotated to thus move the belt 45. Upon release of thehandle 42, the spring 43 will act to return the device to its normalcondition as shown in FIGURE 3 thus keeping the handle out of the wayfrom accidental movement by persons passing in the neighborhood.

Thus it will be seen that from day to day various entries may be made byplacing stickers each day in the space indicated at 1 and that at alltimes during a thirty day period, salesmen and managers may see at aglance the length of time each particular car has been with the concern.Cars which have not been sold during the thirty day period may then havetheir stickers removed from the belt 45 and placed upon the exposedsurface of the front wall portion 16 as shown in FIGURE 1 therebyindicating that special attention should be given to the sale of suchcars.

If desired, the exposed portion of the front walls 17 may be givendistinctive colors as, for example, those portions thereof bearing thenumbers 1 to may be colored green while those portions having theindicia 11 to 20 may be colored amber while the remainder thereof may becolored red.

It will also be apparent that the belt may be properly tensioned bymanipulating the wing nuts 29 in conventional manner.

While but one form of the invention has been shown and described herein,it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many minormodifications may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A movable chart device comprising; a back wall; an upper wall portionformed along the upper edge of said back Wall substantially normalthereto; a lower wall portion formed along the lower edge of said backwall substantially normal thereto; side wall portions formed alongopposite side edges of said back wall substantially normal thereto; anupper roller rotatably mounted adjacent said upper wall and verticallymovable along a predetermined path parallel to the plane of said backwall; slotted brackets at each end of said upper roller fastened to saidside walls for movably mounting same as aforesaid; coil spring meanshaving one end fastened to said upper wall portion and the other end tosaid roller at each end thereof tensioned to urge same towards saidupper wall portion; said roller being vertically displaceable againstsaid spring along said path; a lower roller rotatably mounted adjacentsaid lower wall; an endless belt entrained around said rollers andtensioned by said spring means; vertically spaced indicia indicating thedates of the month located along at least one said side wall portion;horizontal lines on said belt dividing said belt into parallelinformation receiving areas of a predetermined width equal to thespacing of said indicia, said areas being movable into horizontalalignment with said indicia and means for manually moving said belt.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 including threaded rod meansextending through said upper wall portion and manually adjustable meansin engagement therewith, and wherein said coil spring means are attachedto respective said rods for adjustment thereof.

3. A device as defined in claim 1 wherein information stickers areprovided for removably mounting on said belt in said areas.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 including axle shaft means extendingfrom opposite ends of said upper roller, and annular grooves formed insaid shaft means for engagement by said spring means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 302,723 7/1884Grimes -96 582,284 5/1897 Harris 40-96 1,384,293 7/1921 Zieba 40-861,518,063 12/1924 Gottfried 4096 2,592,100 4/1952 Adler 4019,5 2,904,9159/1959 Steward 4096 FOREIGN PATENTS 9,435 5/ 1900 Great Britain. 17,6308/1911 Great Britain. 242,482 10/ 1948 Switzerland.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, JEROME SCHNALL,

Examiners.

1. A MOVABLE CHART DEVICE COMPRISING; A BACK WALL; AN UPPER WALL PORTIONFORMED ALONG THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID BACK WALL SUBSTANTIALLY NORMALTHERETO; A LOWER WALL PORTION FORMED ALONG THE LOWER EDGE OF SID BACKWALL SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL THERETO; SIDE WALL PORTIONS FORMED ALONGOPPOSITE SIDE EDGES OF SID BACK WALL SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL THERETO; ANUPPER ROLLER ROTATABLY MOUNTED ADJACENT SAID UPPER WALL AND VERTICALLYMOVABLE ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF SID BACKWALL; SLOTTED BRACKETS AT EACH END OF SAID UPPER ROLLER FASTENED TO SAIDSIDE WALLS FOR MOVABLY MOUNTING SAME AS AFORESAID; COIL SPRING MEANSHAVING ONE END FASTENED TO SAID UPPER WALL PORTION AND THE OTHER END TOSAID ROLLER AT EACH END THEREOF TENSIONED TO URGE SAME TOWARDS SAIDUPPER WALL PORTION; SAID ROLLER BEING VERTICALLY DISPLACEABLE AGAINSTSAID SPRING ALONG SAID PATH; A LOWER ROLLER ROTATABLY MOUNTED ADJACENTSAID LOWER WALL; AN ENDLESS BELT ENTRAINED AROUND SAID ROLLERS ANDTEMSIONED BY SID SPRING MEANS; VERTICALLY SPACED INDICIA INDICATING THEDATES OF THE MONTH LOCATED ALONG AT LEAST ONE SAID SIDE WALL PORTION;HORIZONTAL LINES ON SAID BELT DIVIDING SAID BELT INTO PARALLELINFORMATION RECEIVING AREAS OF A PREDETERMINED WIDTH EQUAL TO THESPACING OF SAID INDICIA, SAID AREAS BEING MOVABLE INTO HORIZONTALALIGNMENT WITH SAID INDICIA AND MEANS FOR MANUALLY MOVING SAID BELT.